At least two pedestrians, including a college teacher, were killed and three others, including a school girl, were injured when a private car driven by a Shahjalal University of Science and Technology teacher hit them in front of the main entrance of the university campus on Saturday.
The deceased were identified as Ataur Rahman, 38, a lecturer of Chhatak Degree College in Sunamganj, and Gias Uddin, 60, son of late Abdul Karim of Karbia village at Jagannathpur upazila in the Sunamgnaj district, police said. Rahiba Rahman, a class eight female student of a private-run school Dip Shikha Academy at Pathantula in the city, was admitted to the Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital after the incident.
The injured also included the private car owner Arif Ahmed, also mechanical engineering department chief of the SUST, and his car driver Abul Kamal who wre also admitted to the hospital.
Eyewitnesses said that the private car smashed into a roadside tree after hitting the pedestrians in front of the university’s main entrance at around 11.30am when it was entering the campus, leaving three pedestrians and the car owner and his driver injured.
The college teacher Ataur Rahman died on the spot immediately after the incident and Gias Uddin died after he was admitted to the SOMCH, sources in the university said.
Arif Ahmed was learning how to drive as he had bought a car several days back and he was driving the car when the accident took place, sources said.
SOMCH deputy director Abdus Salam confirmed to New Age the news of the death Gias Uddin. He said he was admitted to the hospital in critical condition and died around an hour later.
When contacted, SUST proctor Kamruzzaman Chowdhury told New Age at around 4.45pm that he had come in the hospital immediately after the incident and was still there.
‘Arif Ahmed, his car driver Kamal and the school girl are not out of danger,’ the proctor said quoting the physicians.
Kamruzzaman added that a committee would be formed to probe into the incident after convening a meeting of the proctorial body in the evening.
Jalalabad police officer-in-charge said they delivered the dead bodies to the morgue of SOMCH for postmortem in the afternoon.
‘The private car has been seized from the spot and necessary legal steps will be taken in this regard,’ the police officer said.